There have been several attempts to provide a means to package and handle materials such a hot melt adhesives or pressure sensitive adhesives. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,592, "Hot-Melt Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Packaging, Preform, and Method," (Bozich et al.), describes a method for waste-free packaging for a hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive that comprises extruding a hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive into a continuous tubular film, wherein the film is compatible with being integrated into the composition of the hot-melt adhesive composition. In one embodiment, the preform of the packaging material of Bozich et al. comprises a continuous sheet of a heat sealable film having two opposed edges, with a patterned silicone coating on at least one face leaving an uncoated area. The uncoated area on the first edge is capable of forming a heat seal with a second uncoated area on either face in proximity to the opposite edge. The heat sealable film must be capable of being sealed by the application of heat or a hot-melt adhesive. Hot melt adhesive is then extruded into the tubular film and the tube is crimped to isolate desired amounts of adhesive between crimps. By melting the compatibly packaged hot melt adhesive in a glue pot, the compatible packaging becomes compatibly integrated into the molten hot melt adhesive composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,682, "Method for Tackless Packaging of Hot Melt Adhesives," (Hatfield et al.), discusses packaging a non-blocking hot-melt adhesive by directly pouring or pumping the molten adhesive into a cylindrical plastic tube, the tube being in contact with a heat sink. The tube comprises a thermoplastic film which is meltable together with the adhesive composition and blendable into the molten adhesive and which will not deleteriously affect the properties of the adhesive composition when blended therewith. In one embodiment, the plastic film is threaded through a film folder which folds the film and forms a lap seal around a fill pipe or mandrel. The lap seal is sealed with hot air, induction welding or ultrasonic welding. The molten hot-melt adhesive is then pumped into the tube. The adhesive filled tube is then crimped or pinched into smaller cartridge size segments.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,059, "Dispenser Package for Flowable Materials and Method of Forming Same," (Robe), discusses a dispenser package in the form of a flexible pouch having a constricted throat orifice separating the main portion of the pouch from a dispenser portion. A method is provided for forming the pouch by forming a tube of a thermoplastic material, and using a heat sealing device to form the material into a tube, then gathering the tube material at spaced locations and applying heat to form a thickened, stiffened portion at the throat orifice.
U.K. Patent Application GB 2,135,238A, "Producing Tubes for Packages," discusses a tube for packaging in which a mandrel is used to provide a tubular packaging means having a longitudinal seam formed as a sealed film. This application also discusses a method of producing tubular packaging means from a flat length of film, in particular heat sealable film, which comprises folding a length of film about a sealing mandrel to bring two longitudinal edges of the film against each other alongside the sealing mandrel, sealing the two edges to form a sealed film, and drawing the tubular piece off the sealing mandrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,245, "Method for Conditioning a Permanent Adhesive Composition in the Form of Blocks or Sections," (Viel), discusses several prior proposed and implemented methods to package adhesive compositions. The methods discussed in Viel include providing permanent adhesive compositions in the form of rods, blocks, strips, sections, and slabs, which are enveloped by a thin film. Viel characterizes the method of wrapping with film as costly. Veil also points out that the choice of films suitable for such protection is fairly limited since it is absolutely essential that they blend perfectly with the composition during re-melting of the latter when used, as the protected composition is now inseparable from its protective film.
It is also known to provide hot melt adhesives in the form of a coextruded core/sheath composite, in which the sheath is relatively non-tacky and can be mixed with the material of the core upon remelt of the composite. It is also known that such composites can be coiled about a spool. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,317,368 and 4,490,424, and U.K. Patent Specification 1,095,735.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/753461, filed on Nov. 25, 1996, discloses an elongate mass of material wrapped by a liner in which the liner is wrapped around the material with the liner inside surface facing the peripheral surface of the material, with first and second regions of the liner extending away from the material with the liner inside surface of the first region in unbonded contact with the liner inside surface of the second region so as to enclose the material with said liner. The material and the center region of the liner together form a core of the wrapped mass of material, and the first and second liner regions together form a tab of the wrapped mass of material. The wrapped mass of material includes a first portion and a second portion and is arranged such that the core of a second portion applies sufficient force to the tab of a first portion so as to maintain the mass of material enveloped by the liner at the first portion. Also presented are methods and apparatus for wrapping and unwrapping such material.